Transgender teen reads teacher the UK Equality Act

BY NATASHA BARSOTTI – Transgender teen Ashlyn Parram was told by her head-teacher that she had to change into boys' clothing if she was going to be allowed to take an exam at her Lincolnshire school.

But Parram, 16, who is undergoing gender reassignment, was having none of it.

For the teacher's benefit, Parram produced a copy of the UK's Equality Act, which protects transgender people from discrimination.

The UK Home Office's website states that the act sets out nine protected grounds: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. "The act prohibits unfair treatment in the workplace, when providing goods, facilities and services, when exercising public functions, in the disposal and management of premises, in education, and in associations (such as private clubs)," the government website says.

"When I did show him the Equality Act, he did admit that he had to let me do the exam," Parram told ITV News. But she said she was situated away from other students when she eventually did the exam.

"We want people to understand that this is not freaky, this is not actually as unusual as people think it is. And the more people that know that, the more people that understand that, the less children are going to have to suffer what Ashlyn suffered," her mother told ITV.

The UK's Out News says an official discrimination complaint has been lodged over the head-teacher's conduct.